Brian Gillis and the You Net Results group discuss the concept of auto repair speed of service – or SOS. What systems can you put in place to quickly identify the “one thing” that needs repair on the customer’s vehicle? How quickly can you fix it so they are safely on their way?
Speed of Service Concept – What and How
Brian starts the clip by breaking down the SOS concept. We have to have all of our systems in place in order to quickly resolve customers’ needs. We must properly train all staff on their duties in order. Only then can we process cars more efficiently, while not missing opportunities.
Eric clarifies that the heart of the Speed of Service concept is how quickly we can return our customer’s vehicle to them. He likens it to a visit to a doctor’s office. Normally, we come in and fill out our pre-visit paperwork. Then, we wait to be called back to the doctor. What if we came in and were immediately called back without filling out the proper paperwork first? How strange would that be? We would doubtless feel uncomfortable in that situation. In the same way, Eric doesn’t want a customer to even sit down before his staff have identified “one thing” the vehicle needs.
Joe adds that we ease customers’ minds with our ability to quickly identify that one thing. Brian then presents the secret move to starting the Speed of Service chain of events – get the customer’s keys and hand them off to a General Service Technician before you even start data entry. By the time you are done entering data, your GS has performed a thorough visual inspection. The customer is still at the counter, and you can share information on an issue you can help them with.
Finally, Brian adds another helpful hint. We need to take inventory of all of our key to key systems. When we do this, we will find areas that are costing us time. Shaving down a few minutes here and there will make a huge difference in improving Speed of Service.
Learn More – Book Your FREE Strategy Session
Does your auto repair shop lack direction? Perhaps your business plan has stalled out, and you need an experienced automotive industry coach to help you. Then why not schedule a FREE business strategy session with guide Brian Gillis? You’ve got nothing to lose, so sign up today!
Here is a great discussion on how we can document an auto repair invoice. In this clip, Brian and our guest Keith begin the process of writing a ten step SOP on building automotive repair invoices.
Auto Repair Invoice – When And How
Brian starts out the segment by setting the ground rules of the SOP. The front of house staff, specifically the Service Advisor at the desk, is responsible for writing the auto repair invoice. When you write a Standard Operating Procedure, you number the steps in order to clearly describe how the job is done. In this case, your front of house staff will have a handy guide to refer to when questions come up.
It is also a great idea for you to review this and other SOPs regularly when in team meetings and one on one’s in order to keep everyone sharp. Sometimes, it will help for individuals to taylor certain steps and scripts to their own strengths. However, when you have one standard form on hand for the whole team to reference, it makes a huge difference.
Auto Repair Invoice SOP Step 1
Next, Brian called on Keith to provide step one. Before we fill anything else out, we will need to gather the customer’s contact and vehicle information. The first question we always need to answer is “Why is the vehicle here?” Then, from there, we can fill in the rest of the blanks on the SOP.
Learn More – Book Your FREE Strategy Session Today
Does your independent auto repair shop business lack direction? Maybe your initial business plan has stalled out. You need to hire an experienced automotive industry coach who can help you. So why not schedule a FREE business strategy session today with Brian Gillis? You have got nothing to lose, so sign up today!
Do you know when to write an auto repair estimate? Brian and the YNR group talk about identifying the “one thing” – i.e. the first major item of concern on a vehicle – and alerting the customer to it. Then what? We go through a quick scenario with reassuring a price shopper that we will get the job done quickly and affordably. It’s not about money, it’s about their safety. Get the customer on their way via your shuttle, and give the rest of the vehicle a thorough inspection. Then and only then is when to write an auto repair estimate.
Auto Repair Estimate Writing – When And How
Brian starts the conversation by reminding us not to rush into repairs before talking with our customers. Remember, the customer will tell us everything we need to know, and often will ask questions to steer us in the right direction.
Eric chimes in to walk us through his process of finding “one thing” during initial inspection that customers need to know about. Then, the Service Advisor will walk the customer back to their vehicle to explain the issue. After that, just listen to the customer. When they let you know their concerns about cost or time, let them know you can get right to work on the repair and provide them a shuttle to work. Make sure the conversation thoroughly addresses vehicle safety. You have yet to completely inspect the vehicle, so assure them you will call them shortly to let them know if there are any other concerns. You should only provide an auto repair estimate after reading the customer their vehicle’s inspection results.
Brian wraps up by remind us that both front and back of house staff should understand the “one thing” concept. Make sure you clearly mark what it is on your repair orders, so everyone knows.
Learn More – Book Your FREE Strategy Session
Does your auto repair shop lack direction? Perhaps your business plan has stalled out. You need an experienced automotive industry coach to help you. Then why not schedule a FREE business strategy session with YNR guide Brian Gillis? You’ve got nothing to lose, so sign up today!
Here’s one of our handy Service Advisor tips. Are your service advisors asking the right questions up front? This is mission critical to avoid having to call customers back when your Technician finds something unexpected with a vehicle and has questions of their own. Don’t risk painting your staff as incompetent. That’s a recipe for wasting time and money. Ask the right questions up front!
Service Advisor Tips – Call Recap
Brian opens up the clip by presenting Step G in the Getting Acquainted / In Person Counter Contact form. This is probably the most important step in the process. All the Service Advisor Tips and voice tricks mean nothing if you are not listening, asking questions, and verifying the customer’s vehicle problem. Remember, at the end of the day, our customers have problems, and it’s our job to solve them.
What do all of our service advisor tips boil down to? We must gather as much information as possible from the customer. Brian confirmed this to be true with our guest Nick, who is an A Tech. When a Service Advisor doesn’t gather enough information and pass it all on to the Technicians, we’ve got big trouble.
Repeating the customer’s problems back to them builds their confidence in us, as well as helping us avoid missing an issue later. Nick verified that he has had many questions for Service Advisors immediately after receiving work orders. For example, he may not know how long a car’s transmission has been slipping. This question should have come up when the Service Advisor initially talked with the customer.
Learn More – Get Your FREE Strategy Session
Does your auto repair shop lack direction? Perhaps your business plan has stalled out, and you need an experienced automotive industry coach to help you. Then why not schedule a FREE business strategy session with Brian? You’ve got nothing to lose, so sign up today!
Speed of Service Concept – What and How
